Scouting Report: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Calvin Ridley showed up to Tuscaloosa as a true freshman and led the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches on his way to break all of Amari Cooper’s freshman receiving records. Ridley is a fluid mover with amazing balance that changes directions effortlessly with the ball in his hands. He has exceptional ball skills and does a phenomenal job of locating the ball as well as looking back to his quarterback. He has a slight build and won’t run through a ton of contact but he is elusive after the catch. Even though Ridley isn’t going to win a ton of jump balls or dominate in the redzone like a big bodied wide receiver, he certainly fights for the contested pass and will attack the football instead of letting it into his body. Ridley has great quickness, excellent feet and separates consistently from cornerbacks. He compares favorably to a Marvin Harrison type of receiver who wins with speed, technique and the type of determination that will drive cornerbacks mad at the next level. Ridley will be eligible for the 2018 draft and is a lock for the first round should he opt to declare.

2016: A big-play threat in the talented Crimson Tide receiving corps … was a Freshman All-American in his first season at the Capstone … set UA freshman records with 89 receptions for 1,045 yards … named a second team All-SEC honoree by the conference coaches … as a sophomore had 72 catches for 769 yards and seven touchdowns … notched five or more catches in 20 of his 30 career games played and has a catch in every game of his career … 39 of his receptions went for a first down or a touchdown in 2016 … a big-play threat, he had 21 explosive receptions of 15 yards or more to lead the Tide … also rushed five times for 21 yards and a touchdown in his sophomore campaign.

2015: A big play threat in the talented Crimson Tide receiving corps … selected to the Sporting News and SEC All-Freshman teams, and the All-SEC Second Team by the Associated Press … set the UA single-season freshman receiving record for yards with 1,045, eclipsing the previous mark of 1,000 held by Amari Cooper (2012) … made an immediate impact on the Crimson Tide offense, reeling in a team-leading 89 catches for a team-high 1,045 yards in 15 games (11 starts) … 17 of his catches went for 15-plus yards, including five of his seven scores … five of his seven touchdowns came on plays of 30 yards or more … had a team-leading 44 receptions for a first down or score … recorded five or more catches in nine of his 11 starts and 11 games overall.

High School/Personal: The nation’s top-ranked wide receiver coming out of high school by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals … consensus five-star prospect … the No. 4 wide receiver by Scout.com … participated in the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game and invited to Nike’s “The Opening” where he captured MVP honors … ranked ninth in the Rivals100 and the No. 4 prospect in the state of Florida … 247Sports ranked him 17th in its Top247 and No. 7 in Florida … the 247Composite listed him 11th overall and sixth in the state … No. 23 in the ESPN300 and No. 8 in the state of Florida while ranking 12th in the Southeast … Scout.com rated him No. 29 in the Scout300 and the No. 2 wide receiver in the Southeast … No. 22 on the PrepStar Dream Team … No. 11 on the Orlando Sentinel’s 2015 Florida Top 100 … only able to play three games during his senior season due to age restrictions … hauled in 18 passes for 420 yards and four touchdowns in those three games in 2014 … caught 41 passes for 1,131 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior in 2013 … coached by Calvin Davis at Monarch High School where he was a second team 2013 All-State selection … chose Alabama over Miami, Florida State and Ohio State.

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Joe Everett

Joe Everett is the Director of College Scouting for NFL Draft Bible, he is the Founder of DraftScouts.com, also the Lead Editor & Defensive Statistician for Insider Football and member of the PFWA & FWAA.